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CHARLES DAVID BROOKS, III

Charles David Brooks, III started dancing on the street corners of New York City for pennies, nickels and dimes during the war years of the the 1940s. While attending Public School 54K, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Brooks toured with fellow school dancers of various cultures performing in local schools and city venues Alfred Drake and Sam Levinson mentored Brooks, through the Drama Club, during the 1950s, as he attended Boys High School, concerning global theater. Brooks spent time writing, recording and producing music for recording artists between 1959 and 1968, in Tin Pan Alley. From 1968 to 1976, Brooks acted in 18 movies while living and attending Los Angeles City College and the University of California, in Los Angeles. Brooks teamed up with Jamaa Fanaka and performed in two films including Fanaka's classical film "Emma Mae," in 1976.

Returning to New York City, Brooks wrote, directed, produced, and host the "Charles Brooks Show" for Manhattan Cable and Westinghouse Television. Brooks served a Representative of the Poor, an elected official, in the Manhattan Theater District between 1980 to 1988, serving two terms. Brooks suffered a serious crisis, while attending Columbia University, where he began to experience the effects of alcoholism. Brooks left the Broadway Theater District and settled in Barnwell, South Carolina, in 1988, to be near his parents and redefine himself on his 5 acre wooded area home. After spending time in Veterans Affairs Facility, in 1991, Brooks set out to take his rightful place in society leaning on the ever lasting arms of the God of his understanding and equipped with sobriety. Brooks served as Executive Director of the Blackville Community Center developing strategic plannings for the town of Blackville, South Carolina. Brooks negotiated, through Governor Carroll Campbell, the renovation of a WPA site as a community center and with Norfolk Southern Railroad for a Main Street Development Project, and a Savannah River Site Strategic Planning Project. In 1994, Brooks ran and lost the election for the House of Representative to bring attention to the town and its people.

After serving the people of his community for many years, Brooks returned to the stage in 1996 performing as a lead in August Wilson's play "The Piano Lesson" at the Trustus Theatre, in South Carolina. With the play breaking box office records, at that time, Brooks were exposed to Columbia, South Carolina and Harvest Talent Agency working in several Public Service Announcements ranging from Fire Department Alerts, Littering, Strokes, including Industrial and Commercials and eventually to Benedict College.

Stage Director Gregg Levvy casted Brooks in Joseph Walker's play "The River Niger" which ran for two weeks at the Ponder Fine Arts/Humanities Center Theater, at Benedict College, October 2000. Since appearing on the Benedict College stage, Brooks served as Assistant Professor of Theatre, writing and directing plays, including Our Lives, Our Voices, Our Music; Affairs of Our Ancestors; HELP!; and Shelter. Professor Charles Brooks served on many college committees, Oak and Read Street Neighborhood Board, Richland County Transportation Survey Commission, and the Butler Heritage Fund Raising efforts to renovated the Old Colored Butler High School, in Hartsville, South Carolina with performances of his plays at the Center Stage. Hartsville's Mayor awarded Brooks the "Charles David Brooks, III Day" in 2006 and 2007. The South Carolina General Assembly presented Brooks with a Resolution Honoring him for Service, Education, and Theatre. Benedict College presented Brooks with being the most Distinguish Faculty of the Year 2007-2008. Today Brooks is serving the college as the Acting Chair of the Benedict College Fine Arts Department.

Most recently, the Benedict College Office of International Program Summer Research Fellow (OIPSRF), under the directions of Dr. Norma Lozano Jackson have successfully completed the admissions, logistics, and application process whereby Brooks have been accepted by the Fundacion Curduvara in Carabobo, Venezuela as a Fellow. Professor Brooks is afforded an opportunity to lecture, interact, and share his field research and findings in theater with native afrovenezuelan communities, public schools, and with drama and literature specialists at Carabo's University, from May 30th to June 27th, 2009. Brooks performed field research studying the Ancient Theater of Wesir, in 2007 in Egypt and 2008 in Ethiopia with the Kemet Nu Educational Tours.